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Mountains Facts

Mountains Facts
A mountain is a land mass that rises much higher than the land or water surrounding it. Some mountains are formed by volcanoes that build up lava over time, others are created when tectonic plates collide and force rocks upwards. Many mountains are capped with snow because they reach such high altitudes from the surface of the earth and the temperature remains below freezing, allowing snow to build up. Most mountains are part of mountain ranges, which can stretch for thousands of miles. Mountains make a good home for animals and birds, providing them with shelter and food and clean water. Many people make mountains their homes as well.
Interesting Mountains Facts:
According to the UN Environmental Programme, the definition of a mountainous includes approximately 24% of the earth's land mass.
The majority of mountain ranges on earth are millions of years old. The Himalayan mountain range dates back to 55 million years ago, and make up the world's tallest mountains, including Mount Everest.
Many mountains exist under water. Sometimes their summit reaches above the water's surface. Hawaii's Mauna Kea is taller than Mount Everest, reaching 33,480 feet from the ocean floor.
The Andes mountain chain is the longest mountain chain on land in the world, stretching 4,470 miles.
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an underwater mountain chain located in the center of the Atlantic Ocean, stretching 7,000 miles.
The 10 tallest mountains in the world, when measured by height above sea level, include Mount Everest (29,029 feet), K2 (28,251 feet), Kangchenjunga (28,169 feet), Lhotse (27,940 feet), Makalu (27,838 feet), Cho Oyu (26,864 feet), Dhaulagiri (26,795 feet), Manaslu (26,781 feet), Nanga Parbat (26,660 feet), and Annapurna (26,545 feet). These are all located in the Himalayan Mountain Range in Asia.
It is estimated that Mount Everest is the same height as 20 Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other.
A dome mountain is created when the lava from a volcano does not break through the earth's crust. Instead it builds up underneath the crust and creates a dome. South Dakota's Black Hills and New York's Adirondack mountains are examples of dome mountains.
Fault block mountains are created when tectonic plates push rocks through cracks in the earth and push upwards. Nevada's Sierra Mountains and Tetons of Wyoming are examples of fault block mountains.
The Rocky Mountain range stretches from Canada's west coast to Mexico. It is the world's second longest mountain range.
Some mountains continue to grow as they are forced upwards from tectonic action underneath.
Olympus Mons is a mountain located on the planet Mars and it is believed to be the tallest mountain in our entire solar system.
It is estimated that approximately 80% of our fresh water on earth originates in the mountains, where it collects from snow and glaciers and makes it way down towards sea level.
It is estimated that approximately 1/5th of the world's population reside in and around mountains.
Mountains are popular for many activities including paragliding, hiking, climbing, camping, rafting, skiing, mountain biking, snowboarding, and icefall climbing.


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